Brief History from Wikipedia

The Sd.Kfz. 251 halftrack was a World War I German armored fighting vehicle designed by the Hanamag company, based on its earlier unarmored Sd. Kfz 11 vehicle. The Sd.Kfz. 251 was designed to transport the Panzergrenadier (German mechanized infantry) into battle. Sd.Kfz. 251s were the most widely produced German halftracks of the war, with at least 15,252 vehicles and variants produced by seven manufacturers. Some sources state that the Sd.Kfz. 251 was commonly referred to simply as "Hanomags" by both German and Allied soldiers after the manufacturer of the vehicle; this has been questioned, and may have been only a postwar label. German officers referred to them as SPW (Schützenpanzerwagen, or armored infantry vehicle) in their daily orders and memoirs.

The Sd. Kfz. 251/8 was the ambulance version of the personnel carrier halftrack built by Hanomag. The vehicle was known in the Wehrmacht as the Krankenpanzerwagen, (armored ambulance). It could carry 8 “walking wounded” or 2 stretcher patients and 4 seated casualties.

The Kit

There are 4 sprues in the box, along with the decals and instructions. No clear parts. I pretty much followed the instructions as far as assembly, starting with the interior and then putting the top and bottom of the main compartment together. I did take a picture of the interior before I did the final assembly, because that’s the last time anyone’s going to see the driver’s compartment, since there are no windows or openings.

I painted the entire vehicle panzer dark gray, including the wheels and the suspension parts. I then painted it with panzer schokobraun in stripes for the camouflage. I then painted the black tires on the track suspension and assembled the suspension parts.

Tamiya has really stepped up it’s game in the figure department in the last few years. Starting with single figures and sets in the re-boxing of the Marder III M, Hummel, and 38 (t), the new designs have really made assembly and posing easier than ever. There are notches and tabs that help align the shoulders, legs, and torsos (molded in front and back halves) to avoid any gaps. There are also molded indentations on the back of the torso and in the pouches to attach the extra equipment to so they appear to avoid them looking as if they’re simply resting on the torso and belt. The included facial details are also much more expressive and individualized than in the past. In one figure, there is a separate boot and another has a hand separate from the arm which is a bit odd. The drawback to the parts being so specifically keyed to each other is that they really aren’t interchangeable.

This book sets out to explain how the Soviets came to develop what has become arguably World War two’s most revolutionary tank design.

I have always been intrigued by the history and development of the T-34 as it helped greatly in changing the fate of Russia on the Second World War. This book goes in to incredible details and reasons behind its design and history. There is so much information included that I had not seen before. The pictures are also a great resource and will be invaluable when researching the T-34. There also a few Profile pictures are a particular favorite and great source for modeling.

I was impressed at the amount of information and history found in the pages of this extremely enjoyable book. The pictures along are worth the cost of the book. I will find this book indispensable in my library of reference books.

The Book

Robert Doepp and AFV Modeller Publications capture for its readers a comprehensive detailed construction of a BMW R75 in 1:9^th scale. Inspiration for this 112-page softbound book, “BMW R75 Escaping from the Falaise Pocket” comes from a rare black and white WWII image found in, Pallud, Jean-Paul. Ruckmarsch! The German Retreat from Normandy: Then and Now. Battle of Britain Internat., 2007. The German wartime image depicts a crew of 4 German paratroopers retreating on a BMW R75 with a sidecar attached.

Before this undertaking, several model magazines have showcased Robert Doepp’s work including Tamiya Model Magazine, Model Time, Dioramag and Steel Art. As well as being a contributor to several magazines, he has won numerous awards.