ICM Sd.Kfz.251/6 Ausf.A With Crew (35104) - Sd.Kfz.251/6 Ausf.A With Crew (35104)

[Julien]

Sd.Kfz.251/6 Ausf.A With Crew (35104)

1:35 ICM via Hannants

 

 

The Hanomag Sd.Kfz.251/1 was the mainstay of the German armoured Personnel Carrier fleet, but was flexible enough to also take up many other tasks within the Nazi War Machine, from Anti-Aircraft duties to Howitzer carriage and back again to armoured reconnaissance, which led to a lot of variants.  With two steering wheels at the front, the rear was carried on tracks, giving it good clearance and rough ground capabilities that a truck simply could not manage once the going got tough.  It was armoured sufficiently to deflect non-armour piercing rounds from small arms fire, but with an open top it was susceptible to both grenades and aerial bombardment, where the armour would concentrate the blast and reduce the interior to a tangled mess.

 

 The Ausf.A was used at the beginning of WWII alongside the Ausf.B, and was generally fitted with an MG.34 on the front cab wall, operated from inside.  There were more than 20 official variants and more unofficial field modifications, but despite their seemingly ubiquitous nature in German service, not many were preserved after the war, and they are highly sought after now, with many examples being based upon post-war builds from Czech factories that have been made to look as convincing as possible by their restorers.  While the purist may notice the differences in films, they're still a huge improvement on repainted American half-tracks from an authenticity point of view. The command version being identifiable by the large antenna.

 

The Kit

This is a reboxing of kit number 35102 of the same vehicle, which in itself was a reboxing of 35101 so ICM are getting their monies worth from this one. where you can see all the pictures below, as well as the build process and our thoughts on the model.  The review of the original boxing can be seen here, and the command boxing here.  There are now six grey, a clear sprue (just the headlamps are used), and the flexible tracks and wheels.  Also included in this boxing is the command vehicle crew.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Markings

2 markings are supplied in any colour you want as long as its Panzer Grey

 

1. WH 179467 Command Vehicle of General H Guderian, Poland, 1939
2. WH 609084 1941

 

 

 

The Crew

This is an inclusion of the set ICM offered on its own earlier.  On the sprue are four figures, including a driver figure and two radio operators, one adjusting his set whilst listening in on headphones, the other with his headphones round his neck writing on a pad that is resting on his left knee.  The officer of course is wearing his rank appropriate cap, binoculars and riding breeches, and is resting his right arm on the lip of the vehicle's walls and his corresponding foot propped up on a box within the vehicle.  His other hand is looped through his belt/over his holster and he is leaning forward as if he is interested in what's going on. The accessories are fairly sparse due to the duties of the crew, and consist of bands for headphones, binoculars, pistol holster and notepad, while the figures themselves are broken down into separate legs, arms, torso, head with moulded in caps, or separate cap for the officer.  The driver figure has his arms split at the elbow to obtain a more realistic position while maintaining detail on the hands etc., and to give a little adjustment when fitting his hands onto the steering wheel. 

 

 

 

 

Conclusion

We liked the kit when we have seen it before, and like it still, especially with the addition of the figures, it makes it a more complete package. Highly recommended.

 

Available in the UK from Hannants and other model shops

 

Review sample courtesy of

 

[Ozzy]

That’s Christmas sorted..