Box Art / Packaging

The ICM Wehrmacht self-propelled AA vehicles is delivered in the usual rigid box and all 3 kits are tightly packed. No loose parts were present and all kits were presented with no flash and insignificant sink marks, I did notice though that some of the parts were especially fragile, this caused me some build issues later on. The clear parts were well formed and fit nicely and no PE is present for this kit. Decals were supplied for each kit though understandably there were very few.

The Kits

Upon opening and examination there is some confusion as to exactly what is what within. This is a re-boxing of sorts with all 3 of these kits being individually available under separate SKU numbers. It is not especially difficult to identify which is which kit-wise, however the bagged kits do not match in all cases the SKU numbers called out on the instructions.

The Armed Forces of Ukraine use a wide variety of trucks for different purposes. One notable example is the all-wheel drive ZiL-131, which was mass-produced throughout the 1970s and 1980s for both civilian and military use. Known for its high reliability and exceptional off-road capabilities, the truck proved versatile in many applications.

In the Armed Forces of Ukraine, some of these vehicles received field modifications—being equipped with heavy machine guns or light artillery weapons. Notable examples include ZiL-131 variants fitted with DShKM heavy machine guns, mounted on various pedestals or mounts in their cargo beds. These modifications transform the trucks into fire support vehicles, capable of engaging lightly armored targets and slow-moving aerial targets.

Guideline Publications is the UK's leading publisher of modeling and hobby-related magazines. With a world-class portfolio of titles and an international Social Media presence, Guideline Publications has a dedicated readership that is constantly expanding into new areas. This English language book, The M47 Patton Tank, is authored by David Doyle. This English language volume was published in 2025 and is published in conjunction with Military Modelcraft International. A digital edition will soon be available. The latest of Guideline’s publications can be found on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/guidelinepub/.

The U.S. Army’s Tactical and Technical Trends (Vol. I, No. 11: July 1943) quoted Red Army sources,

The Germans make extensive use of self-propelled guns as assault artillery. Their most important mission is to destroy the opposition’s antitank and heavy infantry weapons… Assault batteries, which are assigned a limited number of targets, have the mission of supporting the attacks of the infantry, and of destroying the opposition’s heavy infantry weapons and strong points disclosed during the attack. In supporting tank attacks, the self-propelled artillery assumes some of the normal tasks of heavier tanks, including the destruction of antitank guns.

While the German Army was largely a horse-drawn army, the Germans focused, and relied on, armored vehicles for speed, mobility and shock.

Tamiya kits are known for their ease of building and detail. There are some tradeoffs that come with that philosophy, particularly with engine screens and other small metal parts on the real vehicle. While the base Tamiya kit is great out of the box, there is always room for more detail, and this Hauler kit does not disappoint.

This PE set fills that void and takes the Tamiya 1/48 M5A1 Stuart (Kit No. 32606) to the next level. This set includes two PE frets (A (1 ⁵/₈” x 2 ¼”) containing the M1919 MG mount, ammo can, periscope cages, spare track hangers, light guards, grab handles, etc.; and B (1 ³/₁₆” x 1 ⁵/₁₆”) containing the four engine screens and tool tie downs, and a resin sprue with onboard tools and M2 HMG.