The Kit:

Krupp’s Kfz.70 light truck was a workhorse for the German army throughout WW II. Initial production started in 1933 and continued through 1942 with a run of around 7000 units. It was often employed towing light artillery, particularly the PaK 35/36, 3.7cm anti-tank weapon. Dragon has released a kit of this ubiquitous vehicle in 1/72 scale and it’s a little gem. Molded in light gray plastic, the kit features highly detailed parts for both the truck and the towed cannon. The wood grain simulation on the side panels of the truck is noteworthy. Dragon provides decals for three versions, all from unknown units on the Eastern Front circa 1943. One is in winter camouflage. The instructions are typical for Dragon with exploded views showing eleven steps to complete the truck and two steps for the cannon. The last page is a painting and decal guide with color references keyed to Gunze Sangyo paints.

The Build:

Short History

Land Rover is synonymous to mobility in the British Army as Jeep and Humvee are to the US Army. Land Rover Defender was the main vehicle type for the British Army and the armies of the Commonwealth for many years, and in 1994, Land Rover created a new variant - the Defender XD (eXtra Duty) to replace the older vehicles in service. The XD is powered by a 300Tdi engine and was produced in 90 and 110 inch configurations.

These XD Defenders were called the 'Wolf' and these can be equipped with hard tops or soft tops and where needed, could be fitted with a Weapons Mount Installation Kit (WMIK). WMIK vehicles could carry a 12.7mm (.50 caliber) machine gun on a gun ring in the rear or the MILAN ATGM launcher. Gun mounts for squad weapons are provided for the driver and commander as well.

History

The BMW R75 along with the Zundapp KS 750 was developed in response to a request from the German Army during World War II. It was powered by a 750 cc horizontally opposed, two cylinder engine based on the R12 gasoline engine featuring overhead valves. The rear wheel featured a locking differential (with two gear ratios for road or off road) and power take off (PTO) for a driven sidecar wheel.

BMW and Zündapp upon the urging of the Wehrmacht, agreed upon standardization of parts for both machines. The standardization program meant that machines that were produced by BMW and Zündapp used almost 70% of the same components. This simplifies the supply of spare parts for these vehicles, many of which are still in the hands of historic motorcycle enthusiasts. These vehicles are desirable as collector's items because of their complex and durable technology. Many well restored examples can be found on the road today.

Short History:

When WWII broke out in 1939, Germany relied heavily on the 3.7cm PaK 36 antitank gun. However, this puny weapon was no match for armored vehicles like the French Char B1 or British Matilda II. One solution was to mount the more powerful Skoda 4.7cm PaK(t) gun on the chassis of the Panzer I Ausf. B. This had a double advantage – a more capable antitank weapon was created, and it permitted an extended use of obsolete Panzer I tank chassis. Called the Panzerjäger I, this new vehicle was Germany’s first of many tank destroyer designs. Between March 1940 and February 1941, 202 such Panzerjäger I vehicles were converted in time for service in the Battle of France, in North Africa, and in the invasion of Russia. By the end of 1943, the Panzerjäger I had been phased out. The Skoda 4.7cm PaK(t) gun was mounted in an open-topped Panzer I fighting compartment with its original gun shield still affixed.

The British developed and employed the first full-tracked armored fighting vehicle and continued to improve the design throughout the First World War. The result was the Mark V tank in 1918.

This book, number 178 in the New Vanguard series published by Osprey Publishing, describes the development of the Mark V and Mark V* tanks from the earlier Mark IV, crew duties, combat deployment, and further improvements at the Christchurch development center. The text provides a pretty inclusive discussion of the development of the Mark V and its larger siblings the Mark V* and V**. The discussion of combat operations is basic but does give an idea of the improvement of the faster Mark V over earlier models.