History

The Elefant came into being from improvements made to the tank destroyer Ferdinand. After the battle of Kursk, surviving Ferdinands from sPz.Jg.Abt.654 were consolidated into sPz.Jg.Abt.653. The unit withdrew to St. Polten in December 1943 for overhauls and modifications, which included the addition of a machine gun at the radio operator's position, a commander's cupola, new tracks, rain gutters on the front of the superstructure, and new armored engine grilles. A Zimmerit coating was also applied. These modifications coincided with Hitler's order to have the vehicles redesignated with the name Elefant. Elefants served on the Russia front, in Italy, and in the defense of Berlin.

Overview

Zimmerit coating was applied by the Germany army during WWII from 1943 on tanks as a way to defeat infantry personnel from being able to attach magnetic mines. Zimmerit was developed by the German company Zimmer AG. It was made up of polyvinyl acetate, sawdust, barium sulphate, ochre pigment, and zinc sulphide. Zimmerit was applied during production prior to the painting process since it did not adhere well to painted surfaces. The coating also featured ridge patterns to reduce the surface area that a magnet could attach to. Zimmerit was applied to Elefants when they were modified at the factory. Simulating Zimmerit on military models using putty requires advanced skills and is time-consuming.

The Tank Destroyers were a short-lived branch of the U.S. Army in World War II, based around a theory that tank destroyers would be dedicated to fighting enemy tanks, freeing our tanks for infantry support. Furthermore, half the Tank Destroyer force would consist of towed anti tank guns. Gradually, the towed guns were replaced by self propelled vehicles, such as the M10, M36, and finally, the M18. All of these vehicles handled themselves quite well against German armor, as well as serving as support vehicles for infantry, but their weak link was the open turret which exposed the crew to small arms fire, shell bursts, and grenades. In the end, the tank destroyer program was cancelled, with standard U.S. tanks assuming the tank vs. tank role. M18s soldiered on in other armies, some seeing action as late as the 1990’s in Serbia.

A few years ago, Tamiya released an all new 1/35th scale version of the Matilda Mk.III/IV, having produced an earlier kit of this venerable British tank back in the 1970’s. Those who build in 1/48th scale hoped that eventually Tamiya would downsize their new 35th kit and allow the modeler to have an alternative to the 35-year old Bandai 48th scale Matilda, which was selling on the collectors circuit for upwards of $100. Tamiya has kindly obliged!

Items in the Box

The model is made from injection molded plastic, gray in color. The plans were made up in book form, printed on both sides. Decal sheet, photo-etched, cable and hose, as well as simulated glass parts were included.

Construction

I started with the lower portion of the tank body, adding running gear and springs. Next, the back and front cover plates, with details, hooks, and exhaust system were added. I pre-painted, as the assembly progressed. Next came the interior details, seats, transmission, and drive shaft, with pre-painting as the assembly progressed. The overhead cover was added next, with machine guns, turret, cannons, and ammo storage container. The tank treads were then assembled to the body. I then assembled the fuel trailers – note: there were enough extra parts for a second fuel trailer, with the exception of the wheels, axles, barrel, and barrel straps. These items were scratch built.