1/35 Italeri Aufklärungspanzer 38(t) Sd.Kfz. 140/1

I’ve received this model from a very good friend of mine, from Slovenia. Good friend and good modeller, Milan Tank Krusic (salute You).

This is the model Aufklärungspanzer 38(t) Sd.Kfz. 140/1 which was light and fast reconnaissance tank of the German Army during WWII. Using captured enemy tracked vehicles for other battlefield purposes proved the norm for the pressed German Army during World War 2 (1939-1945). Early on, the pre-war Czech LT vz. 38 Light Tank was captured in some number and over 1,400 were eventually produced by Czech-firm CKD for the German Army as the Panzer 38(t). In time, the design was evolved to become the Aufklarungspanzerwagen 38 (2cm), SdKfz 140/1.

Due to its lightweight nature and compact profile, Panzer 38(t) tanks held evermore limited battlefield value as the war went on. As such, it was decided to covert the line to fulfill an armored "fast reconnaissance" tank requirement. An existing, open-air turret fitting the 2cm (20mm) KwK 38 L/55 anti-tank gun was added and this featured a coaxial 7.92mm MG42 machine gun. The turret was given mesh screens to protect the turret crew from grenade attacks. The engine make was Praga and this installation was a 6-cylinder, liquid-cooled system outputting 180 horsepower (uprated from the 150 horsepower units originally featured in the Panzer 38(t) tanks). Road speeds could reach 28 mph and ranges were out to 130 miles. The crew numbered four in cramped fighting conditions. The radio fit was the Fu.Spr.Ger.f series kit.

The first vehicles were delivered by CKD in October of 1943 and a total of 70 units were built to the standard. These arrived into March of the following year and were assigned to Panzer divisions into late 1944. The series saw action on both the East and West fronts until the end of the war in May 1945 - their 20mm guns proving a disadvantage against more advanced modern armor but suitable against light-armored vehicles and infantry.

This is Italeri’s kit which dates back to 1973. and to basic kit German Tank Pz.Kpfw. 38(t), the idea is still here, but in this box from 2007. we can found new parts and decals. I was a little bit sceptic about this kit because of bad expirience with Italeri’s F4 and A10 which gave me really hard time. But this kit was very easy to put toghether. I had only two problems: first was with connecting hull with cupola, firewall was slightly raised and I had to remove top part of it with Proxxon for good fit. Other was very odd… Drive wheels are made from two parts, once You connect them You are going to face odd problem, teeth from one, and teeth from other part are not aligned. I had some trouble about putting tracks on them, so I had to remove some teeth for proper finish. Fortunately, those teeth cannot be seen. Mash screen on the hatches are just a little bit of challenge, because You must measure them precisely to match hatches, but they went on very good.

Whole build process is very straight forward, from bottom to the top of the model. I adde star antenna on the rear of the vehicle and I did some basic painting on the panzer officer from Tamiya because the whole model will be empty without it… The markings on the model are from Panzergrenadier Division Großdeutschland and their involvment in fighting in Bessarabia 1944.

The model is painted with acrylics and weathered with some oils, pigments and some splashes and mud.

The model was photographed on the daylight with 50mm Canon lens.

Feel free to comment and suggest, cheers!

14 additional images. Click to enlarge.