The AFV

The Churchill was designed as an infantry support tank. The Churchill prototype was built before the start of World War II. The design parameters called for heavy armor and firepower over speed and maneuverability. The idea was that the infantry tank would assist the infantry as it crossed “no man’s land” between the trenches in France, just as they had in World War I. So the ability to stand up to light anti-tank weapons and to cross rough ground, including shell craters, was more important than tank-busting.

The prototypes were still in progress when France fell in 1940. Suddenly the design changed, as there weren’t going to be any trenches in France in the near future. The result of this change was that the Churchill was given a 6-pounder as its main weapon and a more powerful engine was developed.

Dragon’s Sd.Kfz.234/3 is an excellent kit with crisp molding, full interior detail and while complicated, it goes together very well. This new Premium Edition is a reissue of Dragon’s 2007 kit #6257 including new fenders with photoetch storage bin covers & locks, and movable suspension that allows the wheels to be angled for turns.

Vehicle Background

The SdKfz 234/3 was the third in a series of heavy armored reconnaissance vehicles produced by Germany during WWII. It had an open-topped superstructure in which a short-barreled 7.5cm L/24 gun was installed. This gun, surplus from the upgrade of older Panzer IV tanks, was intended for use against "soft" targets. Eighty-eight of the 234/3s were produced by Buessing-Nag between June & December of 1944.

Dragon's latest Panzer III represents the Panzerkampfwagen III Sd Kfz. 141/1 Ausf L "Late" production. This kit is a bit of a mix and match from earlier kits, most notably the 2010 Dragon Models 6606 PzIII Ausf N with Winterketten. It also shares a bit of pedigree with the 2011 release of the Cyber Hobby 6422 Pz III ausf L Vorpanzer which builds an "Early" version of the Ausf L.

As early as 1940, Hitler ordered the Pz III to be equipped with the 5 cm Kw.K. L60 but it wasn't until December 1941 that the weapon was finally fitted to the Pz III ausf J. The Pz III Ausf J with the extra armor (Vorpanzer) and the L60 gun evolved into the Pz III ausf L and earlier Ausf Js with these features were re-designated Ausf Ls. Production of the Ausf L ran from June to December 1942 with a total run of 653 vehicles.

The Tank

Soon after the tank made it's first appearance at the Battle of the Somme in 1916, a lighter version was requested. This would be smaller, lighter and faster and could be used in the pursuit phase of a battle, although why after what occurred at the Somme pursuit came up at all is a mystery. However, using existing technology, the Whippet, as the light tank came to be known, was designed. Armed only with machine guns, it was faster than the Heavies in use at the time (a screaming 8 MPH), and had a crew of three instead of the eight needed to fight the Mk IV Heavy. The tank was very uncomfortable to ride in, only the driver having a seat, and the fighting compartment was behind the engine, so it got extremely hot and filled with exhaust fumes from the engine and powder fumes from the Hotchkiss MGs it carried. It was also un-reliable and could not be counted on to keep running for more than a few hours at a time before breaking down.

Renault FT-17 TSF Background

This Hauler conversion kit for MENG's 1/35 scale French FT-17 Light Tank (Cast Turret) kit, #TS-008, modifies it into a Renault FT-17 TSF Command Radio version.

The Renault Char signal, or TSF (télégraphie sans fil - wireless, in English), is a command tank with a radio. The FT-17 turret was replaced by a box-like superstructure, giving room for a crew of three: driver, radio operator and observer. The vehicle was equipped with a code-only wireless radio, and featured a wire antenna hung between a mast mounted on the superstructure and the vehicle’s tail. They were unarmed, used for coordinating assaults, and keeping contact with high command while deep behind enemy lines. During WWI, 188 TSFs were produced.