In Box Review of DML 1/35TH Scale
Sd.Kfz. 165 “Hummel”
Kit no. 6004
By Ray Mehlberger
Copyright: 1993
I paid $24.75 for this kit at a local hobby shop that went out of business.
Available in later boxing's at places overseas on the web.
By Ray Mehlberger
Copyright: 1993
I paid $24.75 for this kit at a local hobby shop that went out of business.
Available in later boxing's at places overseas on the web.
HISTORY:
Hummel (German: "bumblebee") was a German self-propelled gun used by the Wehrmacht during the World War II. Based on the Geschützwagen III/IV chassis and armed with the 15 cm sFH 18/1 L/30 howitzer, it saw action from early 1943 until the end of the war. Its ordnance inventory designation was Sd.Kfz. 165.
The full name was Panzer Feldhaubitze 18M auf Geschützwagen III/IV (Sf) Hummel, Sd.Kfz. 165. On February 27, 1944, Hitler ordered the name Hummel to be dropped as it was deemed inappropriate for a fighting vehicle. The Hummel was designed in 1942 after the invasion of the USSR had demonstrated the need for more capable self-propelled artillery support for Wehrmacht tank forces than that then available.
The first option considered was mounting a 10.5 cm leFH 18 howitzer on a Panzer III chassis, rejected in favour of the same gun on a Panzer IV chassis. One prototype was built.This design was rejected in favour of mounting the more powerful 15 cm sFH 18 L/30 howitzer on the specially designed Geschützwagen III/IV, which combined the driving and steering system) of the Panzer III with the chassis, suspension, and engine of the Panzer IV.
The same platform was also used for the Nashorn tank destroyer.
The engine was moved to the centre of the vehicle to make room for an open-topped lightly armoured fighting compartment at the rear housing the gun breech and crew. Late models had a slightly redesigned driver compartment and front superstructure offering more room to the radio operator and driver. In all, some 700 Hummel were built.
SPECIFICATIONS:
Type: Self-propelled artillery
Place of origin: Nazi Germany
In service: 1943–1945
Wars: World War II
No. built: 714
Mass: 24 tonnes (52,910 lb)
Length: 7.17 m (23 ft 6 in)
Width: 2.97 m (9 ft 9 in)
Height: 2.81 m (9 ft 3 in)
Crew: 6 - Driver and 5 gun crew
Armor: 10–30 mm (.39 - 1.18 in)
Main armament: 1 × 15 cm sFH 18/1 L/30 with 18 rounds
Secondary armament: 1 × 7.92 mm Maschinengewehr 34 with 600 rounds
Engine: Maybach HL 120 TRM V12 petrol of 300 PS (296 hp, 221 kW)
Power/weight: 12.5 PS/tonne
Suspension: Leaf spring
Operational range: 215 km (133 mi)
Maximum speed: 42 km/h (26 mph)
Hummel (German: "bumblebee") was a German self-propelled gun used by the Wehrmacht during the World War II. Based on the Geschützwagen III/IV chassis and armed with the 15 cm sFH 18/1 L/30 howitzer, it saw action from early 1943 until the end of the war. Its ordnance inventory designation was Sd.Kfz. 165.
The full name was Panzer Feldhaubitze 18M auf Geschützwagen III/IV (Sf) Hummel, Sd.Kfz. 165. On February 27, 1944, Hitler ordered the name Hummel to be dropped as it was deemed inappropriate for a fighting vehicle. The Hummel was designed in 1942 after the invasion of the USSR had demonstrated the need for more capable self-propelled artillery support for Wehrmacht tank forces than that then available.
The first option considered was mounting a 10.5 cm leFH 18 howitzer on a Panzer III chassis, rejected in favour of the same gun on a Panzer IV chassis. One prototype was built.This design was rejected in favour of mounting the more powerful 15 cm sFH 18 L/30 howitzer on the specially designed Geschützwagen III/IV, which combined the driving and steering system) of the Panzer III with the chassis, suspension, and engine of the Panzer IV.
The same platform was also used for the Nashorn tank destroyer.
The engine was moved to the centre of the vehicle to make room for an open-topped lightly armoured fighting compartment at the rear housing the gun breech and crew. Late models had a slightly redesigned driver compartment and front superstructure offering more room to the radio operator and driver. In all, some 700 Hummel were built.
SPECIFICATIONS:
Type: Self-propelled artillery
Place of origin: Nazi Germany
In service: 1943–1945
Wars: World War II
No. built: 714
Mass: 24 tonnes (52,910 lb)
Length: 7.17 m (23 ft 6 in)
Width: 2.97 m (9 ft 9 in)
Height: 2.81 m (9 ft 3 in)
Crew: 6 - Driver and 5 gun crew
Armor: 10–30 mm (.39 - 1.18 in)
Main armament: 1 × 15 cm sFH 18/1 L/30 with 18 rounds
Secondary armament: 1 × 7.92 mm Maschinengewehr 34 with 600 rounds
Engine: Maybach HL 120 TRM V12 petrol of 300 PS (296 hp, 221 kW)
Power/weight: 12.5 PS/tonne
Suspension: Leaf spring
Operational range: 215 km (133 mi)
Maximum speed: 42 km/h (26 mph)
THE KIT:
DML (also called Dragon at times) is an old prolific plastic model kit manufacturer based in Hong Kong, China. They make all manner of plastic model subjects in the popular scales.
This kit comes in a shrink-wrapped tray and lid type box.
The cover art shows a color illustration of a Hummel moving through a woods. It is being followed by a Panther tank. There is a Kubelwagen at the side of the road.
The Hummel and Panther are in camouflages of a base of earth-yellow, with dark-green squiggle pattern on the Hummel and broad bands of dark-green on the Panther. The Hummel has a small black and white German cross on the sides of the hull. No markings can be seen on the Panther.
There is a crew of five on the Hummel. They all wear camouflage jackets, reversible to white and have hoods. Four men wear cloth field caps with bills. The fifth man wears a steel helmet.
The Kubelwagen is also camouflaged the same as the Panther. It has 3 officers standing beside it. They wear field-grey uniforms. Two wear the same reversible color jackets like the men on the Hummel and one man wears a cloth field cap with a bill. The third man wears an overcoat and a officer’s billed hat. All three wear high black jack boots.
One side-panel of the box shows 6 one-paragraph histories of the Hummel. In Japanese, French, English, Italian, German and Chinese. With each language labeled with a color illustration of the flag of the country that speaks the language.
Marco Polo Import Inc.'s street address and FAX number in City of Industry, CA is provided. They were the Importer and distributor for DML at the time of the kit’s release. Copyright of the kit is 1993 and the kit was made in Hong Kong.
DML (also called Dragon at times) is an old prolific plastic model kit manufacturer based in Hong Kong, China. They make all manner of plastic model subjects in the popular scales.
This kit comes in a shrink-wrapped tray and lid type box.
The cover art shows a color illustration of a Hummel moving through a woods. It is being followed by a Panther tank. There is a Kubelwagen at the side of the road.
The Hummel and Panther are in camouflages of a base of earth-yellow, with dark-green squiggle pattern on the Hummel and broad bands of dark-green on the Panther. The Hummel has a small black and white German cross on the sides of the hull. No markings can be seen on the Panther.
There is a crew of five on the Hummel. They all wear camouflage jackets, reversible to white and have hoods. Four men wear cloth field caps with bills. The fifth man wears a steel helmet.
The Kubelwagen is also camouflaged the same as the Panther. It has 3 officers standing beside it. They wear field-grey uniforms. Two wear the same reversible color jackets like the men on the Hummel and one man wears a cloth field cap with a bill. The third man wears an overcoat and a officer’s billed hat. All three wear high black jack boots.
One side-panel of the box shows 6 one-paragraph histories of the Hummel. In Japanese, French, English, Italian, German and Chinese. With each language labeled with a color illustration of the flag of the country that speaks the language.
Marco Polo Import Inc.'s street address and FAX number in City of Industry, CA is provided. They were the Importer and distributor for DML at the time of the kit’s release. Copyright of the kit is 1993 and the kit was made in Hong Kong.
The other side-panel of the box shows three color photos of the kit made up in the box art scheme. Followed by a list of features of the kit: Individual track links. Rotatable and elevable 15 cm sFH 18 howitzer. Movable howitzer crutch hinge. Highly detailed Sfh 18 howitzer. Optional open or closed driver and radio operator’s hatches. 15cm projectiles and cartridges.
Followed by a repeat of Marco Polo’s address etc.
Followed by a repeat of Marco Polo’s address etc.
WHAT’S IN THE BOX:
This kit contains 11 light-grey parts trees, a loose light-grey hull tub and hull tub nose part, 3 dark-grey parts trees and the decal sheet in 5 sealed clear cello bags.
The loose light-grey parts and decal sheet are in a cardboard compartment at the end of the tray.
The instructions consist of a single-sheet that accordion-folds out into 8 pages in 8 ¼” x 14” page format.
Page 1 begins with a black and white copy of the box cover art, over one-paragraph histories of the Hummel in 6 languages, including English.
Page 2 begins with CAUTIONS about the kit, over international assembly symbol explanations and a Paint color listing of Gunze Sangyo and Italeri brands of hobby paints, in the 6 languages.
Below that there is a large black and white photo of the model made up in the box art scheme.
The bottom of page 2 through to page 6 gives a grand total of 15 assembly steps.
Page 7 is a painting and marking guide.
It shows two 3-view profiles of the Hummel in color.
The first one is in a wave-pattern camouflage of grey, tan and red-brown, with a black and white German cross on its sides.
It was as it looked in the Ardennes, 1944.
The second one is over-all Panzer-grey, with its sides, front and rear having a heavy solid coating of white. With a Panzer-grey patch left clear for a black and white German cross on it.
It was as it looked on the Eastern Front, 1943.
Page 8 is the parts-trees illustrations. A few parts are shown blued-out.
Meaning they are excess and not needed to complete the kit. The majority are on tree letter A and only one part on tree letter B.
The bottom of the page gives the decal application instructions in the 6 languages.
Light-grey letter A tree holds: the top and sides etc. (28 parts) 13 parts are excess.
This kit contains 11 light-grey parts trees, a loose light-grey hull tub and hull tub nose part, 3 dark-grey parts trees and the decal sheet in 5 sealed clear cello bags.
The loose light-grey parts and decal sheet are in a cardboard compartment at the end of the tray.
The instructions consist of a single-sheet that accordion-folds out into 8 pages in 8 ¼” x 14” page format.
Page 1 begins with a black and white copy of the box cover art, over one-paragraph histories of the Hummel in 6 languages, including English.
Page 2 begins with CAUTIONS about the kit, over international assembly symbol explanations and a Paint color listing of Gunze Sangyo and Italeri brands of hobby paints, in the 6 languages.
Below that there is a large black and white photo of the model made up in the box art scheme.
The bottom of page 2 through to page 6 gives a grand total of 15 assembly steps.
Page 7 is a painting and marking guide.
It shows two 3-view profiles of the Hummel in color.
The first one is in a wave-pattern camouflage of grey, tan and red-brown, with a black and white German cross on its sides.
It was as it looked in the Ardennes, 1944.
The second one is over-all Panzer-grey, with its sides, front and rear having a heavy solid coating of white. With a Panzer-grey patch left clear for a black and white German cross on it.
It was as it looked on the Eastern Front, 1943.
Page 8 is the parts-trees illustrations. A few parts are shown blued-out.
Meaning they are excess and not needed to complete the kit. The majority are on tree letter A and only one part on tree letter B.
The bottom of the page gives the decal application instructions in the 6 languages.
Light-grey letter A tree holds: the top and sides etc. (28 parts) 13 parts are excess.
There are two identical letter B, C, D & E light-grey trees. They are co-joined. B holds tie down loops etc. (11 parts) One part is excess.
Light-grey letter F tree holds the main gun parts, ammo rounds etc. (60 parts)
There are 3 identical dark-grey letter G parts-trees. They hold individual track links. (80 parts ea.)
The light-grey hull tub and hull tub extension parts are both lettered as H. (1 part ea.)
Light-grey letter I tree holds shield parts, shield supports, ammo bins, etc. (34 parts)
The decal sheet completes the kit contents.
There are no crew figures included in the kit.
The detail is very good.
The detail is very good.
Recommended.