If you have read my previous review on Dragon’s 1/72 scale Panther with Zimmerit, you will see some similarities in this review, but whether it was reviews like mine that made a difference (as I am hoping), there are improvements that have been made. If you are like me, and have the 1/35 scale variant of this kit in your stash, I will let you know that this is essentially the same kit, along with the same markings as that release. This is another very nice release from the folks at Dragon, and the level of detail for this small scale is again impressive.

(Editor's note: This kit is from Dragon's "Smart Kit" line)

History and Performance

During their early offensive operation during WWII the Germans were faced with several river crossings. Taking bridges intact was always a goal, and when that was not available bridging units were brought to the front. The Wehrmacht did not have any true means of amphibious crossings on hand during the war. The Landwasserschlepper was the initial solution to the river crossed challenge.

The Landwasserschlepper was a large amphibious vehicle that carried troops or cargo internally. Several experiments were made with a barge that connected two of these vehicles together. The concept was eventually discarded mid-war as something that was no longer affordable. The vehicle modeled here is the prototype of the armored version.

The Kit

The kit is molded in the grey plastic typical of the current Dragon line.

Background

The 8.8 cm Flak gun proved to be a very versatile and potent weapon for the Germans in WWII. The Germans explored many different vehicle-weapon combinations and the subject of this kit is one of them. There were only 3 prototypes of this variant of the Pz.Kpfw IV produced by 1942. While they performed very well in field trials, no more were manufactured because tank production took priority. It was heavy for a self-propelled gun and its size would have made moving it by rail problematic. The project was cancelled by Albert Speer in January 1945.

Brief History

The 12.8 cm PaK (Panzerabwehrkanone) 44 was the largest caliber German anti-tank gun fielded by her armies during World War II. It was designed as a final response to the escalating armor/anti-armor spiral which continued right through the end of the war, and afterward. Experiences with Russian 122-mm guns and the heavy armor of the KV and IS tanks had shown that even the vaunted 88-mm gun had its limitations.

The choice of 128-mm was made due to existing tooling being available for this caliber as naval and anti- aircraft weapons.

Contracts for design and prototypes were awarded to both Krupp and Rheinmetall-Borsig, with testing commencing in late 1944. The Krupp design was chosen for series production, and although performance was impressive, a towed weapon weighing nearly 11-tons was simply not practical. Various carriages, both foreign and domestic were tried, with varying degrees of success.

To me, AFV Modeller is one of THE finest armor model magazines on the planet. Issue 54 continues their great tradition of providing the reader with well written articles of superbly built models and dioramas, beautifully photographed and printed on high quality paper, along with a nice sprinkling of informative reviews covering the latest books, kits and model accessories.

This month’s cover article is by Bruno Carsuzaa, detailing the construction and weathering of a Trumpeter 1/16^th scale T-34/76 Soviet tank. The kit is built as a knocked out example, one side having burned so that the rubber is missing from the road wheels. The back of the turret has been blown out, and the entire vehicle is beautifully weathered in rust, as part of a diorama depicting a German slit trench. Completing the scene are two German soldiers, by Verlinden and Stormtroopers.