In Box Review of DML Dragon 1/35th scale
German 3.7cm Pak 35/36 w/CREW
Kit no. 6152
By Ray Mehlberger
Copyright 2002
Available from Kit Linx fo $17.55 and at 7 locations overseas on the web.
I paid $14.48 for this kit 18 years ago at Great Hobbies Adventures store in Des Moines, IA, while at a IPMS model contest, when they marked it down from $16.98. They since went out of business.
By Ray Mehlberger
Copyright 2002
Available from Kit Linx fo $17.55 and at 7 locations overseas on the web.
I paid $14.48 for this kit 18 years ago at Great Hobbies Adventures store in Des Moines, IA, while at a IPMS model contest, when they marked it down from $16.98. They since went out of business.
HISTORY:
The Pak 36 (Panzerabwehrkanone 36) is a 3.7 cm caliber German anti-tank gun used during the Second World War. It was the main anti-tank weapon of Wehrmacht Panzerjäger units until 1942.
Developed by Rheinmetall in 1933, it was first issued to the German Army in 1936, with 9,120 being available by the beginning of the war in September 1939 and a further 5,339 produced during the war. As the predominant anti-tank gun design in the world during the late 1930s, demand was high for the Pak 36, with another 6,000 examples produced for export and the design being copied by the Soviet Union as the 45 mm anti-tank gun M1932 (19-K) and by other nations such as Japan.
It first saw service during the Spanish Civil War in 1936, where it performed well against the light tanks of the conflict. It was first used during the Second World War against Poland in 1939 and had little difficulty with any of the Polish tanks.
The Battle of France in 1940 revealed its inadequate penetration capability against French and British heavier tanks, particularly the Char B1, and especially the Matilda II, receiving the derisive nicknames "Heeresanklopfgerät" ("army door-knocking device") or "Panzer Anklopfen Kanone" ("tank door-knocking cannon") from its crews, but it sufficed to defeat the bulk of the Allied armor in the campaign.
The invasion of the Soviet Union brought the Pak 36 face to face with large numbers of T-34 and KV-1 tanks, which were invulnerable to its fire. However, 91% of the Soviet tank forces in 1941 consisted of lighter types that lacked sufficient armor to defeat the gun, and the Pak 36 knocked out thousands of such tanks.
The Pak 36 was replaced from late 1940 onward by the 5 cm Pak 38 anti-tank gun and from November 1941 by the 7.5 cm Pak 40. This process was accelerated by the engagements with the modern Soviet tanks, and Pak 36 production ceased entirely in early 1942. The introduction in 1943 of the Stielgranate 41 shaped charge gave it the ability to punch through the armor of any Allied tank, but the ammunition's short range made the Pak 36 crews vulnerable to enemy fire and could not solve the gun's basic obsolescence.
German paratroopers employed the gun due to its low weight and consequent high maneuverability. The Pak 36 was also used by Axis-allied, second-line, garrison and training units until the end of the war.
SPECIFICATIONS:
Type: Anti-tank gun
Place of origin: Nazi Germany
In service: 1936–1945
Used by: Nazi Germany
Wars: World War II, Second Italo-Ethiopian War, Spanish Civil War, Second Sino-Japanese War
Designer: Rheinmetall
Designed: 1934
Manufacturer: Rheinmetall
Unit cost: 5,730 Reich Marks
Produced: 1933–1942
No. built: 20,000
Mass: Travel: 450 kg (990 lb), Combat: 327 kg (721 lb)
Barrel length: 1.66 m (5 ft 5 in) L/45
Width: 1.65 m (5 ft 5 in)
Height: 1.17 m (3 ft 10 in)
Crew: 5 (Commander, gunner, loader, two ammunition bearers)
The Pak 36 (Panzerabwehrkanone 36) is a 3.7 cm caliber German anti-tank gun used during the Second World War. It was the main anti-tank weapon of Wehrmacht Panzerjäger units until 1942.
Developed by Rheinmetall in 1933, it was first issued to the German Army in 1936, with 9,120 being available by the beginning of the war in September 1939 and a further 5,339 produced during the war. As the predominant anti-tank gun design in the world during the late 1930s, demand was high for the Pak 36, with another 6,000 examples produced for export and the design being copied by the Soviet Union as the 45 mm anti-tank gun M1932 (19-K) and by other nations such as Japan.
It first saw service during the Spanish Civil War in 1936, where it performed well against the light tanks of the conflict. It was first used during the Second World War against Poland in 1939 and had little difficulty with any of the Polish tanks.
The Battle of France in 1940 revealed its inadequate penetration capability against French and British heavier tanks, particularly the Char B1, and especially the Matilda II, receiving the derisive nicknames "Heeresanklopfgerät" ("army door-knocking device") or "Panzer Anklopfen Kanone" ("tank door-knocking cannon") from its crews, but it sufficed to defeat the bulk of the Allied armor in the campaign.
The invasion of the Soviet Union brought the Pak 36 face to face with large numbers of T-34 and KV-1 tanks, which were invulnerable to its fire. However, 91% of the Soviet tank forces in 1941 consisted of lighter types that lacked sufficient armor to defeat the gun, and the Pak 36 knocked out thousands of such tanks.
The Pak 36 was replaced from late 1940 onward by the 5 cm Pak 38 anti-tank gun and from November 1941 by the 7.5 cm Pak 40. This process was accelerated by the engagements with the modern Soviet tanks, and Pak 36 production ceased entirely in early 1942. The introduction in 1943 of the Stielgranate 41 shaped charge gave it the ability to punch through the armor of any Allied tank, but the ammunition's short range made the Pak 36 crews vulnerable to enemy fire and could not solve the gun's basic obsolescence.
German paratroopers employed the gun due to its low weight and consequent high maneuverability. The Pak 36 was also used by Axis-allied, second-line, garrison and training units until the end of the war.
SPECIFICATIONS:
Type: Anti-tank gun
Place of origin: Nazi Germany
In service: 1936–1945
Used by: Nazi Germany
Wars: World War II, Second Italo-Ethiopian War, Spanish Civil War, Second Sino-Japanese War
Designer: Rheinmetall
Designed: 1934
Manufacturer: Rheinmetall
Unit cost: 5,730 Reich Marks
Produced: 1933–1942
No. built: 20,000
Mass: Travel: 450 kg (990 lb), Combat: 327 kg (721 lb)
Barrel length: 1.66 m (5 ft 5 in) L/45
Width: 1.65 m (5 ft 5 in)
Height: 1.17 m (3 ft 10 in)
Crew: 5 (Commander, gunner, loader, two ammunition bearers)
THE KIT:
DML Dragon is an old prolific model company based in Hong Kong, China. They manufacture all manner of model subjects in the popular scales.
This kit comes in a shrink-wrapped tray and lid type box.
The box art shows a color illustration of the 3.7cm Pak 35/36 and its 3 man gun crew set up next to a pile of rubble.
The crew all wears field-grey uniforms and steel helmets. One crew man is operating the gun, kneeling on one knee. He has a canteen, mess kit, canvas pouch and a shovel in its carrying case slung on his belt
The second crew man is kneeling behind him. He carries the same field gear on his belt, plus a gas mask canister.
The third crew man is kneeling between the gun and the pile of rubble. He has the same field equipment as the other crew men, plus a canvas ammo pouch on his belt. He has his right arm pointing and has a pair of binoculars in his left hand. I believe he is probably the commander of the gun?
One corner of the box art says it is a unassembled model kit of 116 parts for modelers age 10 and over. Box contains one gun and 3 figures.
One side panel begins with 2 color walk-around type photos of the gun and crew made up. These are followed by a CAUTION that says to not use paint and glue near an open flame and when you do use them to be in a well ventilated room.
Kit is designed for modelers age 10 and over and is not suitable for children under 3 due to sharp parts, in multiple languages including English.
DML Dragon is an old prolific model company based in Hong Kong, China. They manufacture all manner of model subjects in the popular scales.
This kit comes in a shrink-wrapped tray and lid type box.
The box art shows a color illustration of the 3.7cm Pak 35/36 and its 3 man gun crew set up next to a pile of rubble.
The crew all wears field-grey uniforms and steel helmets. One crew man is operating the gun, kneeling on one knee. He has a canteen, mess kit, canvas pouch and a shovel in its carrying case slung on his belt
The second crew man is kneeling behind him. He carries the same field gear on his belt, plus a gas mask canister.
The third crew man is kneeling between the gun and the pile of rubble. He has the same field equipment as the other crew men, plus a canvas ammo pouch on his belt. He has his right arm pointing and has a pair of binoculars in his left hand. I believe he is probably the commander of the gun?
One corner of the box art says it is a unassembled model kit of 116 parts for modelers age 10 and over. Box contains one gun and 3 figures.
One side panel begins with 2 color walk-around type photos of the gun and crew made up. These are followed by a CAUTION that says to not use paint and glue near an open flame and when you do use them to be in a well ventilated room.
Kit is designed for modelers age 10 and over and is not suitable for children under 3 due to sharp parts, in multiple languages including English.
The other side panel has 3 color side view illustrations of variants of the gun: the 3.7cm Pak 35/36, the 3.7cm Pak 35/36 with Stielgranate 41 rocket loaded and the 4.5cm Pak 184 (r).
These are followed by the copyright of the kit as 2002, over DML’s street address in Hong Kong, China and the kit was made there.
These are followed by the copyright of the kit as 2002, over DML’s street address in Hong Kong, China and the kit was made there.
WHAT’S IN THE BOX:
This kit contains 5 medium-grey parts trees in 3 sealed clear cello bags.
The instructions consists of a single-sheet, printed in color, on slick-coated paper. It accordion-folds out into 6 pages in 7” x 10” page format.
Page 1 has a color repeat of the box art at the top, over the parts trees illustrations. A few parts are shown shaded-out. Meaning they are excess and not needed to complete the model.
Page 2 begins with ATTENTION-IMPORTANT INFO. about the kit,over international assembly symbol explanations and a suggested listing of Gunze Sangyo and Italeri brands of hobby paints in multiple languages, including English.
The bottom of page 2 through to page 5 gives a grand total of 11 assembly steps. The first 10 are for the gun and the 11th is for assembly and painting of the figures.
Page 6 is the painting guide for the gun. It shows three 4-views of the 3 variants possible to build with this kit. All 3 illustrations are in Panzer-grey. Shown are the 3.7cm Pak 35/36, the 3.7cm Pak 35/26 with Stielgranate 41 rocket attached and the 4.5cm Pak 184(r).
Bottom of the page repeats the copyright date of 2002. Instructions were printed in China.
This kit contains 5 medium-grey parts trees in 3 sealed clear cello bags.
The instructions consists of a single-sheet, printed in color, on slick-coated paper. It accordion-folds out into 6 pages in 7” x 10” page format.
Page 1 has a color repeat of the box art at the top, over the parts trees illustrations. A few parts are shown shaded-out. Meaning they are excess and not needed to complete the model.
Page 2 begins with ATTENTION-IMPORTANT INFO. about the kit,over international assembly symbol explanations and a suggested listing of Gunze Sangyo and Italeri brands of hobby paints in multiple languages, including English.
The bottom of page 2 through to page 5 gives a grand total of 11 assembly steps. The first 10 are for the gun and the 11th is for assembly and painting of the figures.
Page 6 is the painting guide for the gun. It shows three 4-views of the 3 variants possible to build with this kit. All 3 illustrations are in Panzer-grey. Shown are the 3.7cm Pak 35/36, the 3.7cm Pak 35/26 with Stielgranate 41 rocket attached and the 4.5cm Pak 184(r).
Bottom of the page repeats the copyright date of 2002. Instructions were printed in China.
Trees are not alphabetized.
The largest medium-grey tree holds: the crew figures (divided into separate heads, torsos, arms and legs), 3 shovels in carrying cases, a pistol holster, map case, 4 steel helmets, 4 mess kits, 3 gas mask canisters, 4 canvas pouches, a pair of binoculars, 4 98K carbine ammo pouches and 4 canteens (31 parts)
The largest medium-grey tree holds: the crew figures (divided into separate heads, torsos, arms and legs), 3 shovels in carrying cases, a pistol holster, map case, 4 steel helmets, 4 mess kits, 3 gas mask canisters, 4 canvas pouches, a pair of binoculars, 4 98K carbine ammo pouches and 4 canteens (31 parts)
A set of spare arms are included too.
The next medium-grey trees are co-joined. These hold the parts of the Pak gun and rocket rounds (25 parts)
The 3rd medium-grey tree is small. It holds: 2 98K carbines, a MP40 machine pistol, a MG34 machine gun and 3 ammo clips (7 parts)
There are no decals in the kit and it does not need any really. The only markings I have ever seen for this gun were kill rings around the barrel.
Highly recommended. It will make up into a great diorama.
Highly recommended. It will make up into a great diorama.