In Box Review of AFV Club 135th Scale
German 10.5cm Howitzer
Ammunition IeFH 18 & Accessory Set
For IeFH 18 Howitzer, Wespe, Sturmhaubitze 42 &
Sd.Kfz. 11
Kit No. AF 35062
By Ray Mehlberger
Copyright: 2003
Available at Sprue Bros. for $16.99 or at Mega Hobby for $19.79 and at 5 locations overseas on the web.
I paid $15.84 for my kit at a local hobby shop that went out of business.
By Ray Mehlberger
Copyright: 2003
Available at Sprue Bros. for $16.99 or at Mega Hobby for $19.79 and at 5 locations overseas on the web.
I paid $15.84 for my kit at a local hobby shop that went out of business.
HISTORY:
The 10.5 cm leFH 18 (German: leichte Feldhaubitze "light field howitzer") is a German light howitzer used in World War II and the standard artillery piece of the Wehrmacht, adopted for service in 1935 and used by all divisions and artillery battalions. From 1935 to the end of the war, 11,848 were produced, along with 10,265 of the leFH 18/40 variant.
Designed in the late 1920s, it represented a major advance on its predecessor the 10.5 cm leFH 16. It was superior in caliber to its early opponents in the war, with adequate range and firepower, but the modern split trail gun carriage that provided it with more stability and traverse also rendered it overly heavy for a mobile role in the largely horse-drawn artillery battalions of the German army, particularly in the mud and snow of the Eastern Front.
The leFH 18 was further developed as the leFH 18M and leFH 18/40. Beginning in 1942, self-propelled versions were created by fitting the howitzer on a Panzer II, H35, Char B1 or 37L chassis. It was also used to equip German allies and neutral countries in Europe prior to and during the war.
SPECIFICATIONS:
Type: Howitzer
Place of origin: Germany
In service: 1935–45 (Germany), 1939–82 (Sweden)
Used by: Germany
Wars: World War II, Slovak–Hungarian War, Syrian Civil War
Designer: Rheinmetall
Designed: 1927–30
Manufacturer: Rheinmetall, Krupp
Unit cost: 16,400 RM (1943)
Produced: 1935–45
No. built: 11,848 (original variant),10,265 (10.5 cm leFH 18/40)
Variants: leFH 18M, leFH 18/40
Mass: Travel: 3,490 kg (7,690 lb)
Combat: 1,985 kg (4,376 lb)
Length: 6.100 m (20 ft 0.2 in)
Barrel length: 2.941 m (9 ft 8 in) (28 calibers)
Width: 1.977 m (6 ft 5.8 in)
Height: 1.880 m (6 ft 2.0 in)
Crew: 6
Shell: cased separate-loading (6 charges) 105 x 155mm R
Shell weight: 14.81 kg (32.7 lb) (HE)
Caliber: 105 mm (4.13 in)
Breech: horizontal sliding-block
Recoil: hydro-pneumatic
Carriage: split trail
Elevation: -5° to +42°
Traverse: 56°
Rate of fire: 6-8 rpm
Muzzle velocity: 470 m/s (1,500 ft/s)
Maximum firing range: 10,675 m (11,674 yd)
Sights: Model 34 Sighting Mechanism
Filling: TNT
Filling weight: 1.845 kg (4.07 lb)
The 10.5 cm leFH 18 (German: leichte Feldhaubitze "light field howitzer") is a German light howitzer used in World War II and the standard artillery piece of the Wehrmacht, adopted for service in 1935 and used by all divisions and artillery battalions. From 1935 to the end of the war, 11,848 were produced, along with 10,265 of the leFH 18/40 variant.
Designed in the late 1920s, it represented a major advance on its predecessor the 10.5 cm leFH 16. It was superior in caliber to its early opponents in the war, with adequate range and firepower, but the modern split trail gun carriage that provided it with more stability and traverse also rendered it overly heavy for a mobile role in the largely horse-drawn artillery battalions of the German army, particularly in the mud and snow of the Eastern Front.
The leFH 18 was further developed as the leFH 18M and leFH 18/40. Beginning in 1942, self-propelled versions were created by fitting the howitzer on a Panzer II, H35, Char B1 or 37L chassis. It was also used to equip German allies and neutral countries in Europe prior to and during the war.
SPECIFICATIONS:
Type: Howitzer
Place of origin: Germany
In service: 1935–45 (Germany), 1939–82 (Sweden)
Used by: Germany
Wars: World War II, Slovak–Hungarian War, Syrian Civil War
Designer: Rheinmetall
Designed: 1927–30
Manufacturer: Rheinmetall, Krupp
Unit cost: 16,400 RM (1943)
Produced: 1935–45
No. built: 11,848 (original variant),10,265 (10.5 cm leFH 18/40)
Variants: leFH 18M, leFH 18/40
Mass: Travel: 3,490 kg (7,690 lb)
Combat: 1,985 kg (4,376 lb)
Length: 6.100 m (20 ft 0.2 in)
Barrel length: 2.941 m (9 ft 8 in) (28 calibers)
Width: 1.977 m (6 ft 5.8 in)
Height: 1.880 m (6 ft 2.0 in)
Crew: 6
Shell: cased separate-loading (6 charges) 105 x 155mm R
Shell weight: 14.81 kg (32.7 lb) (HE)
Caliber: 105 mm (4.13 in)
Breech: horizontal sliding-block
Recoil: hydro-pneumatic
Carriage: split trail
Elevation: -5° to +42°
Traverse: 56°
Rate of fire: 6-8 rpm
Muzzle velocity: 470 m/s (1,500 ft/s)
Maximum firing range: 10,675 m (11,674 yd)
Sights: Model 34 Sighting Mechanism
Filling: TNT
Filling weight: 1.845 kg (4.07 lb)
THE KIT:
AFV Club is an old prolific model company based in Taipei, Taiwan. They manufacture all manner of model subjects in the popular scales.
This kit comes in a blousy shrink-wrapped end-opening type box. The box is 4 ¼” too long.
I am no fan of this type of box, because invariably parts or the decal sheet will find their way past one of the end flaps of the box to become lost forever. Give me a tray and lid type box any day of the week.
The cover art shows a small 10.5cm howitzer in over-all Panzer grey in the upper left corner of the box art. Large color illustrations show a earth yellow and a Panzer gray metal ammo box, a tan wood ammo crate, 2 wood ammo round carriers with wheels and 2 brass powder charges.
The kit is said to be for the IeFH 18 howitzer, the Wespe. the Sturmhaubitze 42 & the Sd.Kfz. 11.
One side panel of the box supplies AFV Club’s address. Telephone & FAX numbers in Taiwan. In English and Chinese. Followed by: Kit is a scale model for ages 14 and older. Importer for Europe is Azimuta in Paris, France and their address is supplied, in multiple languages, including English.
AFV Club is an old prolific model company based in Taipei, Taiwan. They manufacture all manner of model subjects in the popular scales.
This kit comes in a blousy shrink-wrapped end-opening type box. The box is 4 ¼” too long.
I am no fan of this type of box, because invariably parts or the decal sheet will find their way past one of the end flaps of the box to become lost forever. Give me a tray and lid type box any day of the week.
The cover art shows a small 10.5cm howitzer in over-all Panzer grey in the upper left corner of the box art. Large color illustrations show a earth yellow and a Panzer gray metal ammo box, a tan wood ammo crate, 2 wood ammo round carriers with wheels and 2 brass powder charges.
The kit is said to be for the IeFH 18 howitzer, the Wespe. the Sturmhaubitze 42 & the Sd.Kfz. 11.
One side panel of the box supplies AFV Club’s address. Telephone & FAX numbers in Taiwan. In English and Chinese. Followed by: Kit is a scale model for ages 14 and older. Importer for Europe is Azimuta in Paris, France and their address is supplied, in multiple languages, including English.
The other side panel shows 3 color box arts of AFV kits that AFV Club makes: Kit no. AF 35040, a Sd.Kfz. 11, Kit no. AF 35050, a IeFH 18 10.5cm howitzer and Kit no. AF 35051, a Sd.Kfz. 11/4.
The bottom of the box serves as the assembly instructions and painting and marking guide.
Two assembly steps are shown, a couple of international assembly symbol translations and a suggested paint color listing of Gunze Sangyo, Humbrol, Revell and Life Color brands of hobby paints.
The ammo rounds have black noses and field-grey bodies with a brass ring around them. The wheeled wood round carriers are red-brown with field-gray wheels. The wood ammo crate is either red-brown or field-black. The metal ammo cans are either German gray or dark yellow. The power charges are brass with a white interior.
There are decal markings for the ammo crate and metal ammo boxes.
The ammo rounds have black noses and field-grey bodies with a brass ring around them. The wheeled wood round carriers are red-brown with field-gray wheels. The wood ammo crate is either red-brown or field-black. The metal ammo cans are either German gray or dark yellow. The power charges are brass with a white interior.
There are decal markings for the ammo crate and metal ammo boxes.
WHAT’S IN THE BOX:
The kit holds 3 identical green trees. They are not alphabetized and don’t need to be.
Each tree holds the items already described above.
There are 2 wood ammo crates, 12 powder charges, twelve 10.5cm ammo rounds and 12 wood ammo round carriers with wheels.
The kit holds 3 identical green trees. They are not alphabetized and don’t need to be.
Each tree holds the items already described above.
There are 2 wood ammo crates, 12 powder charges, twelve 10.5cm ammo rounds and 12 wood ammo round carriers with wheels.
The detail is excellent. There is no 10.5cm howitzer included in the kit.
The decal sheet completes the contents.
The decal sheet completes the contents.
Highly recommended.