In Box Review of Italaerei 1/35th Scale
Horch (Kfz. 15) German Standard Personnel Car
Kit no. 215
By Ray Mehlberger
Copyright: 1980
Available one place in the U.S.A. on the web for $40.OO and 2 places overseas on the web.
I paid $6.00 for my kit back in the 80’s.
By Ray Mehlberger
Copyright: 1980
Available one place in the U.S.A. on the web for $40.OO and 2 places overseas on the web.
I paid $6.00 for my kit back in the 80’s.
HISTORY:
One of the main vehicles of the German Army, the Horch KFZ 15 was conceived as a transport car, but was widely used as a command and liaison-vehicle too.
Operational on all battle-fronts, particularly in Africa and Russia, it enhanced its sturdiness, reliability and ease of maintenance, necessary to movement warfare on wide battle-fronts.
One of the main vehicles of the German Army, the Horch KFZ 15 was conceived as a transport car, but was widely used as a command and liaison-vehicle too.
Operational on all battle-fronts, particularly in Africa and Russia, it enhanced its sturdiness, reliability and ease of maintenance, necessary to movement warfare on wide battle-fronts.
THE KIT:
Italaerei (now spelled Italeri) is an old prolific model company based in Italy. They manufacture all manner of model subjects in the popular scales.
This kit came in a shrink-wrapped tray and lid type box.
The cover art shows a color illustration of the Horch KFZ 15, with a driver in it and an German officer standing beside it next to a wooden table with a map on it and a briefcase on the ground.
The Horch is overall panzer-gray with a large white letter K on the front of its left front fender, over a white license plate with black serial no. WH 556852 on it. Atop the right front fender there is a small red flag with a square on it divided into black and white sections. These markings are for the Von Kleist Panzer Group.
The figures wear field-gray uniforms. The driver wears a billed cloth field cap.
The officer wears an officer’s billed hat, jopher trousers bloused into black jack boots. He is holding a rag in his left hand.
This is all posed against an all-white background, similar to how Tamiya also does the majority of their box art backgrounds.
Italaerei (now spelled Italeri) is an old prolific model company based in Italy. They manufacture all manner of model subjects in the popular scales.
This kit came in a shrink-wrapped tray and lid type box.
The cover art shows a color illustration of the Horch KFZ 15, with a driver in it and an German officer standing beside it next to a wooden table with a map on it and a briefcase on the ground.
The Horch is overall panzer-gray with a large white letter K on the front of its left front fender, over a white license plate with black serial no. WH 556852 on it. Atop the right front fender there is a small red flag with a square on it divided into black and white sections. These markings are for the Von Kleist Panzer Group.
The figures wear field-gray uniforms. The driver wears a billed cloth field cap.
The officer wears an officer’s billed hat, jopher trousers bloused into black jack boots. He is holding a rag in his left hand.
This is all posed against an all-white background, similar to how Tamiya also does the majority of their box art backgrounds.
One side has the box arts from 4 kits. An Opel Blitz, a Tiger (P) Elephant, Fiat Ansaldo M13/40 and a Katyusha in 1/35th scale.
WHAT’S IN THE KIT:
The kit contains 2 tan trees, a clear tree, a tree of black vinyl tires and the decal sheet in 2 sealed clear cello bags,
The instructions consist of a single-sheet that accordion-folds out into 8 pages in 6 ¾” x 13” page format.
Page 1 of the instructions begins with a black and white photo of a Horch KFZ 15 in the Deutsches Museum of Munich. Over the history and specifications of the car in Italian and English.
Page 2 is the parts-trees illustrations. With BEFORE YOU START instructions in 4 languages, including English.
Page 3 through to page 5 gives a grand total of 9 assembly steps.
Twice in the steps there are photos of the top and bottom of the chassis assembled.
Step 9 is the assembly instructions for the figures, wood folding table and the brief-case.
Spread across pages 6-7 is painting and marking instructions. Shown are 3 three-views that are alphabetized.
Letter A three-view is overall sand-yellow.
Letter B three-view is in a camouflage wave pattern of sand-yellow, red-brown and dark-green.
Letter C three-view is in a camouflage wave pattern of red-brown and dark-green.
Across the top of pages 6 & 7 is decal application instructions and color names in 4 languages, including English.
The figure painting instructions are on one corner of page 7. At the bottom of pages 6 & 7 there are 2 photos of the model made up, but not showing any markings.
The top of page 8 shows a choice of 6 different makings to choose from:
Pz. Gren. Div. Grossdeutschland, URSS, 1943. Use Wehrmacht license plates (WH)
Batterie 5, Artillerie Regiment 10 (MOT), Pz. Gren. Div. 10 , Pz. Grp. 2, “Guderian”, URSS, October 1941. Use Luftwaffe license plates (WL).
Kompanie 9 (MOT), Gren Rgt. 3, 2nd S.S. Panzer Div.,”Das Reich”, Pz. Grouppe 2 “Guderian”, URSS , spring 1942. Use S.S. license plates (SS).
Maschinengewehr Bataillon 8 (MOT), Pz. Rgt. 5, 5th Leichte Div., North Africa, March 1941. Use Wehrmacht license plates (WH).
Befehlshaber Pz. Gruppe “Von Kleist”, URSS 1942. Use Luftwaffe license plates. (WL).
Auflarunsartelung 220 (MOT), 164th Afrika Division, North Afrika 1942. Use S.S. license plates. (SS).
The bottom of page 8 has the history of the Horch in German.
Trees are not alphabetized and have no part number tabs next to the parts on the trees. There are, however, part numbers next to the parts in the parts-trees illustrations. This means careful study of the parts- trees drawings to get the correct parts for each assembly. Bad move Italeri!!
The first tan tree holds: the canvas roof, hood, steering wheel, jerry cans, radiator, gear shift lever, front fenders, floor, sides etc. (58 parts)
The kit contains 2 tan trees, a clear tree, a tree of black vinyl tires and the decal sheet in 2 sealed clear cello bags,
The instructions consist of a single-sheet that accordion-folds out into 8 pages in 6 ¾” x 13” page format.
Page 1 of the instructions begins with a black and white photo of a Horch KFZ 15 in the Deutsches Museum of Munich. Over the history and specifications of the car in Italian and English.
Page 2 is the parts-trees illustrations. With BEFORE YOU START instructions in 4 languages, including English.
Page 3 through to page 5 gives a grand total of 9 assembly steps.
Twice in the steps there are photos of the top and bottom of the chassis assembled.
Step 9 is the assembly instructions for the figures, wood folding table and the brief-case.
Spread across pages 6-7 is painting and marking instructions. Shown are 3 three-views that are alphabetized.
Letter A three-view is overall sand-yellow.
Letter B three-view is in a camouflage wave pattern of sand-yellow, red-brown and dark-green.
Letter C three-view is in a camouflage wave pattern of red-brown and dark-green.
Across the top of pages 6 & 7 is decal application instructions and color names in 4 languages, including English.
The figure painting instructions are on one corner of page 7. At the bottom of pages 6 & 7 there are 2 photos of the model made up, but not showing any markings.
The top of page 8 shows a choice of 6 different makings to choose from:
Pz. Gren. Div. Grossdeutschland, URSS, 1943. Use Wehrmacht license plates (WH)
Batterie 5, Artillerie Regiment 10 (MOT), Pz. Gren. Div. 10 , Pz. Grp. 2, “Guderian”, URSS, October 1941. Use Luftwaffe license plates (WL).
Kompanie 9 (MOT), Gren Rgt. 3, 2nd S.S. Panzer Div.,”Das Reich”, Pz. Grouppe 2 “Guderian”, URSS , spring 1942. Use S.S. license plates (SS).
Maschinengewehr Bataillon 8 (MOT), Pz. Rgt. 5, 5th Leichte Div., North Africa, March 1941. Use Wehrmacht license plates (WH).
Befehlshaber Pz. Gruppe “Von Kleist”, URSS 1942. Use Luftwaffe license plates. (WL).
Auflarunsartelung 220 (MOT), 164th Afrika Division, North Afrika 1942. Use S.S. license plates. (SS).
The bottom of page 8 has the history of the Horch in German.
Trees are not alphabetized and have no part number tabs next to the parts on the trees. There are, however, part numbers next to the parts in the parts-trees illustrations. This means careful study of the parts- trees drawings to get the correct parts for each assembly. Bad move Italeri!!
The first tan tree holds: the canvas roof, hood, steering wheel, jerry cans, radiator, gear shift lever, front fenders, floor, sides etc. (58 parts)
The second tan tree holds: wheel rims, axles, chassis frame, exhaust pipe, bogies, figures, wood folding table etc. (83 parts)
The clear tree holds the window panes and headlight lenses (7 parts)
The black vinyl tree holds 6 tires.
The decal sheet completes the kit’s contents.
This is a neat kit with great detail that will make up into a nice diorama scene.
Highly recommended.