The Sd.Kfz.2 Kleines Kettenkraftrad (ketten is German for tracked, kraftrad is German for motorcycle) was one of the more unique vehicles designed and used during World War II. Initially designed for use by the airborne troops, and able to be carried inside of a Junkers Ju-52, the vehicle was used to lay communication cables, pull loads, and could carry two soldiers on the rear bench seat (probably not comfortably though). Towards the end of the war, the Kettenkrad was also used for towing aircraft in order to help conserve their aviation fuel. When operating at higher speeds, steering was actually accomplished by applying the brakes to the tracks, as the front wheel was more useful at lower speeds. There are some photographs that exist of the vehicles in use with no front wheel installed. During the war, two versions of the vehicle were produced with a total production of some 8,345 units.

Page 1 has the replacement of the front bumper after removing the plastic one. You will need a PE bending tool as the replacement part is several inches long. This step also replaces the rear fender support with a PE U channel. A bending tool would be helpful here. There are replacement foot petals, but I did not use them. They are deep in the cabin and are hard to see unless you leave the doors open. There are two front grill add-ons that look very good. The final item on this page is the addition of PE chains to the towing bolts. I did not place them on until very late in the build, as these have a tendency to pop off during handling.

Initially designed as a medium artillery towing vehicle, the Bussing-NAG Sd. Kfz 6 was eventually converted to carry the 37mm FlaK37, providing the base vehicle for mounting captured Russian 76.2mm anti-tank guns, as well as rotary snow plows. The 37mm-armed version, known as Sd. Kfz 6/2, proved more successful, providing army anti-aircraft units with mobile, though unprotected, protection from air attack. They usually carried a crew of seven, and generally towed a trailer containing ammunition and crew equipment. Although useful, they were expensive to produce, and their jobs could be performed by other, heavier halftracks, and they were phased out of production in 1941. The surviving examples soldiered on until attrition claimed them.

The very popular Concord Armor at War Series has now released PANZER VOR! Volume 5continuing the excellent combination of modeler/author par excellance, Frank V. DeSisto, with parent company Dragon Models as publisher. This edition doesn’t include the author’s bio, but Mr. DeSisto is one of the original founders of AMPS, has been published elsewhere, is a font of knowledge that he readily shares in his books, and as an advanced modeler and professional photographer, chooses photos that will offer great interest to the modeler. Following the format of the previous four volumes, there are 16 color platesby Laurent Lecocq and 175 black and white photos, all with high quality, detailed captions written by a modeler, for modelers.

This kit is a representation of the 17-pdr Anti-Tank gun used by the British Army during WWII. This variant was rushed into service when the Germans introduced the Tiger Tank into North Africa. Due to the expedited production of the gun, the correct carriage was not ready; therefore the British mounted the gun on the 25-pdr carriage. This combination as designated the 17/25-pdr and has a security code name of “Pheasant” The weapon was effective and the only criticism by the troops was its tall profile.

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